Panasonic Toughbook F9 Is a Lightweight Bruiser for the Enterprise

The Toughbook F9 is the lightest 14-inch laptop in its class, at just 3.6 pounds. Capable of taking the knocks of enterprise mobility, Panasonic's latest Toughbook also features an Intel Core i5 processor, the option of Gobi technology, a 320GB removable hard drive and a 14-inch glare-free display.

Panasonic is offering business travelers a new
option for peace of mind with the introduction of the Toughbook F9
business-rugged laptop. At just 3.6 pounds, Panasonic's calling the F9 the
lightest 14-inch laptop in its class.

The Toughbook F9 packs a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-520M vPro processor with Turbo
Boost up to 2.93GHz; a 320GB, shock-mounted and removable hard drive; and 2GB
of DDR3 (double-data rate) 1,0666MHz RAM,
though options run up to 6GB.

The display is a 14-inch WXGA+ widescreen with LED backlighting and anti-glare
treatment-a nice fit with the DVD SuperMulti drive. For online connectivity, Bluetooth
2.1 and 802.11 a/b/g/n are built in, and users have the option of including
Qualcomm's Gobi2000
3G mobile broadband technology. With its ability to switch between EvDO
(Evolution Data Optimized) and HSPA cellular technologies, Gobi
can simplify a multicarrier wireless deployment for an IT team, while adding on
GPS capabilities for users, according to Panasonic.

The F9 being a Toughbook, after all, it features a magnesium alloy case and can
survive, while powered on, drops from desktop height. Panasonic reports abusing
the F9 significantly: dropping it, turned off, more than two dozen times, on
every side and corner, from a height of 12 inches onto a hard surface. There's
also a spill-resistant keyboard-which will help you in the case of a toppled
standard water glass, though not a Big Gulp.

Beginning July 1, the Toughbook F9 will retail for $2,899 at authorized
Panasonic retailers. Like all Toughbooks, it comes with a standard three-year
warranty and free access to U.S.-based phone support for the life of the
notebook.

Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University, and in her spare time obsesses about food. Her first book, The Gastronomy of Marriage, if forthcoming from Random House in September 2009.